MY WITCH 25: The Mogriffs
by NotQuiteNormOld
Summary: Verging on being moved to M-rated for themes. WxC ExC ExP  and more , a slightly darker version of the WITCH episode.
1. Chapter 1

"Hey!" Irma slid in easily between Will and Cornelia - for once in their lives talking animatedly together and Cornelia smiled her own hello to Irma that made the brunette want to double-take. Taranee had been halfway to the pair, when Irma had pulled Hay Lin and herself ahead to beat the dark girl, who finally stood beside them and grinned at the girls. Everyone had agreed, when the older girls had been spotted, that a lack of fighting was good, and that the fact of Cornelia seeming actually happy was even better. "What's up?"

"We're going to the pet store." Cornelia had smiled then, seemingly contented, though Irma felt a rush of surprise when the girl continued after long seconds, unprompted -though it was more the nervous biting of the lower lip that confused Irma, as Cornelia rarely had a thing to feel anythinfg less than egotistical about. "Caleb needs seed for his bird."

"Caleb has a bird?" Irma frowned, glancing at Will's contented face with concern as she pouted slightly. If Cornelia was making her move and Will won, they'd never have a chance.. But the idea of the bird itself was what concerned her most at that second. Caleb wasn't even good with people, so animals were probably not his best move.. And besides, of all the pets it had to be the least manly.

Cornelia nodded though, and Irma willed for there to be a catch.. _Cornelia was getting Caleb seed.. But she wasn't overall that interested in bird lovers..?_ "He traded Blunk a flashlight for it, and it's not so much a bird, but a tape with wings."

Will had looked up then, but the slightest hint of a frown quickly disappeared and Irma wondered if those were stolen words. "It takes both of you to go to the pet store?"

"Um.." Cornelia had given Will a smile then, and Will's cheeks scorched as red as her face. Something wasn't right. "You know Matt's grandfather owns the pet store..?"

She hadn't sounded like she was done, but Will's nervous smile had fallen when Irma had sighed. Why couldn't people be sane? Love triangles were complicated enough - did Cornelia and Will really have to ploy to take Matt Olsen into this? True, it'd make Caleb pretty mad.. But that was mean. And unnecessary! Irma had already decided to tell him. He'd had three days since that indecent failure after the pool to realize, and Irma had had enough. The others laughed, and Irma sighed monotonely. _No! Caleb, Caleb, Caleb! _"Oh. Matt. That explains it."

**...**

Will's face burned red and she pushed through the door with more force than needed, seemingly causing the animals as much shock as herself as they hid away from her. Will wished she could hide away and frowned as she tapped along the glass pane of the counter looking to Mr Olsen who came out front while the others looked around. "So.." _Matt, _Will thought, _Matt, _"Is Matt around?"

The room seemed colder in that second, and Will faintly heard a breath of Irma's comparison of Taranee to _Tarantula, _but the entire world was spinning both to fast and too slow in different direction; causing a false allurement of stillness as Will felt a knot in her stomach. The animals, too, seemed to complain and she briefly recalled learning once that they empathized with danger. Will heard a gasp and the clicks of locks and buzzing of the metal window-guards filled her ears much more loudly that they should have.. Except her eyes were on the man - and older man that she knew instantly would the Mr Olsen who owned the shop, and her heart lurched as something rised in her throat and apparently around her, the girls seemed to notice him; crumpled on the floor. "Mr Olsen?"

He was dead - Will was sure of it; as the man's eyes had gone blank, behing shattered glasses, and Will could still hear the groan of windows begging to break around her. His skin, too, had turned a shade that even competed with her own for rights of palest, and the bluish tinge was what had startled her into her assumption. But the assumption was dead now, unlike the man who was rising. A hoarse whisper gurgled from he lungs, and Will doubted anyone had heard what she'd said. And Cornelia had been having such a nice day.. "Elyon."

"I wanted you to see what I've been learning." Her voice was hard, and the younger girls around Will gasped when Elyon finally became visible. Will had only known she was there, and Cornelia stood stock still beside her. Elyon made a clapping sound, without moving her hands, and Mr Olsen fell to the hard, wooden floor. Will had to urge herself not to step forward as another clap raised bile in Will's stomach as she felt an incredible urge to yell out or scream or growl.. Will stepped back to clasp her hand protectively to Cornelia's wrist, and her face fell morose as she saw Elyon give her a flicker of a smile. "Friends.."

Elyon was gone and Will knew it before she could even see past the bright white light which consumed the room. But Will had bigger things to worry about as something jumped at her and she practically threw the dog off of her; not before it's teeth attempted to sink into her skin, and Cornelia cried out in alarm with the other girls who'd all protected themselves against the other less violent attacks.. Well.. Less violent was what she'd though, but her eyes darted instantly over bodies to find a scratch on Hay Lin's pristene cheek - the girl's fingers lacing over it in surprise, and Will felt herself explode with a rage before the animals all seemed to drop. Elyon was gone, and so was her harm. "Wh-what..?"

Will's eyes drew away from Hay Lin's look of stunned innocence, and she turned to crouch next to the heavily breathing Mr Olsen who'd stirred. "Um.. Here."

Will pulled the man up and Mr Olsen pressed his finger and thumb on his forehead. "What happened? They're all out of their.. Can I get a hand girls?"

Will nodded, silently and turned to pick up and stroke the poor dog that she'd pushed away with her before. Cornelia seemed to be in a state of silent shock - picking up and practically throwing the animals in without a word of disgust or.. Anything. Taranee shuddered as a furry hamster climbed her reaching wrist, and Irma smiled wearily. "You know, a hamster is just a rat, with mumps."

But even as Will looked again to Cornelia, it was Hay Lin she rested focus on; the poor girl not moving at all. Will locked a cage and bent down towards a cat, reaching tentatively. It wasn't bad, but Will knew that Caleb would be furious when he saw. Caleb was awfully protective, though he didn't realize, with Hay Lin, and Will's heart sank at the guilt of knowing she'd be blamed. The best she could do though, was to offer Hay Lin a weak smile (thankfully one returned) when the girl's eyes traveled to her. Hay Lin dropped her hand and crouched next to a pair of rabbits and Will felt a little better to see the cut was too thin even to bleed out. A little better was not enough though.


	2. Chapter 2

"I did what you suggested Phobos." Elyon felt as though she were attempting a bow, as her head dropped to look at the stone, marble floor and trace the lines of his face from memory rather than sight. She would have to draw him, Elyon had long resolved, though she couldn't bring herself to ask him and even now she only fiddled with the golden brooch on her dress. A gift, perhaps, though Elyon would never know why the bronze of her birth mother's had been replaced in her sleep. She knew that it was a kindness - that Phobos only wanted for her to have her own, but the brooch was something she longed to have to courage to ask Phobos for it back. For a moment she'd had something; Elyon had truly felt that she'd had something that might lead her to her mother and any connection was worth clasping onto. But Phobos didn't understand, and it wasn't his fault that he had memories and touches and the image of their mother in his mind. It wasn't his fault that she wasn't so lucky to have a connection to the only thing she had here; while he directed her to break any connection from the others in her life. "I hope I wasn't too hard on them."

It was said out of spite; Elyon had pictured Will and only said what she knew Phobos wanted her to say, because she didn't feel sorry when she looked at Will. So she had only ever looked at Will. And here in this room she only ever looked at Phobos. The rosy blooms of powerfully scented flowers, and the warmth of the sunny-bright glow only added to his magnificence here and Elyon felt the cool, crisp air hit her lungs like a slicing knife when she was in here. For some reason, faint memories of faces purged her mind, though, and Elyon tried to will away the beautiful, yet mournful green, leafy eyes that blurred in and out of focus. A dream, maybe, but one that she wished she could remember, or at least properly forget. Prince Phobos smiled through the image and Elyon felt those eyes melt away into piercing silver-blue. "You did them a kindness. Your friends are already too involved with the rebels for their own good."

Friends. She had said that and a strong bile clung to her throat as she remembered how she'd set the animals on her friends. Her friends all stood behind Will and Elyon had pretended they weren't there, which was worse than the act of fighting them to Elyon's eyes, but yet the greatest sin came now, and Elyon bit back the guilt of having pressed herself into her Prince Phobos' arms; wailing for her friends, but seeking comfort only for herself in his depths.

**...**

Caleb frowned, as he pulled crackers from Aldarn's willing hands and teased the bird with them. "Over the wall, _then _crackers. Go observe."

The bird had flown up, into the air and dove over the walls of the castle before Aldarn let his eyes fall to Caleb. "She really did that? Again?"

"She really did it. Again." Aldarn couldn't read the features in the dim, sunless atmosphere, and could only hope the stotic look would be temporary. "But I think it's fine."

"Drake says a woman like Will would do such a thing if she liked you." Aldarn twisted a smile, but Caleb only frowned. Idle gossip, especially from Drake was Caleb's idea of sin, and Aldarn only felt his blood rush if he knew Caleb was actually listening. "I think he's titilated by her."

Caleb's brows had sunk further and Aldarn grinned in the token of acknowledgement. It took a long time for Caleb to think then, and with every second Aldarn waited for a more crude retort. But finally, when Caleb's eyes met his, there was no anger. "I saw her.. And I had a dream about her, and.."

Aldarn looked over Caleb's pained face, wondering what he'd meant by _'saw'. _There were often times, when Caleb didn't have a word suitable for what he meant, and usually the rebellion would have to guess as for as long as Caleb had spoken as leader, he'd only filled the word with a curse. But now he swallowed, and thought, and Aldarn wondered if it was Will herself, responsible for the change.

"She was.. _Exposed._"

"Exposed?" Aldarn's face had lit up, and Caleb's had fallen with guilt and Aldarn suddenly felt immense excitement. Drake would love this, and Aldarn suddenly knew exactly what the older boy would ask. "How did she look?"

Caleb's teeth had clenched, and his eyes shot wide open at the words being uttered from such a younger boy's mouth. Aldarn, for a second felt his grin become larger at the fact that Caleb had gone very very red. "She wasn't.. All.. I don't recall."

"Deilós."

* * *

><p><strong>Deilós -<strong> coward (liar)


	3. Chapter 3

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/**_  
><em>

_Caleb was not impartial to the swirling steams and alluring scent of clean, pure water that in seconds he knew belonged to the Metaworld, rather than Earth, because the ground beneath him was chalked in mud, and if Caleb hadn't been in Meridian, he was quite sure he ought to be panicked, because quite frankly it would mean that he was presumably lost. No, he was in Meridian; he could smell it and Caleb found himself stepping through bushels of climbing flowers around trees and birds of many bright colors flew up, all in one heated flapping mess that he was sure he had once thought elegant._

_"Pórnis andrón." An insult, called out by the wind itself, he'd first thought, because no one, surely, would have said the words and have called him such a thing. Because Caleb had never touched a woman in his life, and if he were to be a harlot at all, Caleb was even more sure that he would not and should not be given the right to represent man. But he was wading, very quickly, into water which reached desperately for his thighs, then hips, and he was coming to the source of the deep heat surrounding him, and here the steam was thicker than ever, but Caleb did not miss the capturing vivid scarlet. Red. The colour of harlots. The colour of lust. On Earth, the colour of love, but this was Meridian and if such a thing even existed anymore, Caleb was sure it' be pink. But the tinkling of fingers clasping his thick, leather overcoat was not arousing any love in Caleb and there was no notion of wanting desperately for her to stay, because surely she was coming to him._

_He could see her hands, as they climbed further up his torso slithering graciously over the hem of such a jacket; too big, and hot and Caleb was glad if for a moment of the cool air being released when she slipped the coat backwards from his shoulders, naturally her arms gliding forward onto either side of his neck. But she was teasing, as he could see her now, if only her face; that smiling pair of mocha eyes which swirled into hazelnuts and chocolate. Earth products, something in his mind said, but her lightest blush of pink cheeks and nervous teeth clasping over her lip as she grinned made it hard to care about his supposed homeland; Caleb had always hated it here, and surely this girl herself was a product of Earth so it would only be appropriate to describe her that way._

_She was cool, against the shoulders of his barely shirted chest, though he was not so bare as her, because in the steam his clothes clung to him, but from the swirling white hot air her shoulders and arms were bare enough that he could guess she was wearing nothing more than the smile and the blush and the shimmer in her eyes._

_"Will.." And he realized that something was rising in him as he tentatively raised his hand and looped it under her hold on his shoulders, all so that he could barely brush his fingertips to trace along the left of her shining whitely peach skin. Something was rising and his fingers had traveled from her elbow up to her wrist and he could fairly well recall that indeed, girls were very soft. With porcelain skin like velvet that his fingers could feel the thin, sliding fingers of her own, but the discomfort of reaching several inches behind his own back just to touch her seemed unnecessary, when he simply, instead of twining fingers, let his hand become more flatly palming over her skin as he more quickly slid his whole hand now, up to her shoulder, where he let himself continue; backtracking a little to scoop his thumb into the small, smooth hollow under her joining bones of arm to shoulder; his fingers and palm flat against her back and reaching downward to point in the direction of her lower back and waist, all the while Will's eyes studying something in him and her smile only became prettier as it became smaller, though no less sure or happy. "You're so beautiful Will.."_

_He couldn't do more than breath the words, but her smile grew unfathomably more enticingly as she grinned again with a humble ray of pure happiness at his words. And he couldn't do anything but mirror her grinning smile, because for once in his life he didn't feel desperate to reach her as she was the one who'd been waiting for him, and she wasn't planning to tease and walk away. And nothing felt better, and nothing could send and stir and rouse him with any measure of competing happiness or delight as through the mists he did not see, but felt her right arm slide away and her fingers clasped onto his with an assuring gentleness as she pulled the tips of his right fingers toward her until he collided with more velvet soft and he realized she had led him to her stomach, and his fingers then hand trailed the delicate surface until he found the curve of her waist - something easier to feel, apparently, than to see from beneath her usually heavy jumpers and jackets. But who was he to say anything, when he was constantly in leather, Earth or Meridian. Though Julian's jacket had probably sunk by now, into the depth of the pool that reached his center and almost managed to clasp around her waist, though that was his now, and he knew from the colder wet sensation of her skin there that she must be on her tiptoes to keep **his **_waist of hers from the waters.__

_And he leaned in; he curved his very back down to reach her, so that his lips could linger miliseconds from her right blushing cheek, though he needn't touch her today, or tonight, because she was his and he could take his sweet time, just to breathe in heavy breaths of her talky scent and the swimming pool, letting his fingers on her waist draw circles and shapes, and he could see from the disappearing smile, from the largeness of her eyes; from the sheer fact that the only thing left on her lips was the twist where she was biting inside her mouth, that she, today, tonight, would be the one who was going to be inpatient. But who was he to deny her..?_

...Apparently life would not be so kind to deny her though, and Caleb woke up drenched in his own sweat and wishing that he'd kissed her sooner. Because in this world, he'd never feel such things that dreams provoked, and in this world Will wasn't beautiful, because Aldarn would have told him if she were, but Cornelia was beautiful and many Escanor were beautiful, but Will apparently didn't fit that category. He wondered why, but the dream's senses were fading away and no matter how Caleb reached for the memory, he couldn't even recall what he'd said to her, or why he had wondered if Will could ever be beautiful. But she couldn't, could she? Once they were categorized, they were surely either beautiful or not, and though Caleb had never quite understood the rules of beauty, Aldarn had always seemed to keep him right.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/**

"Aldarn, why is Cornelia beautiful?" Aldarn frowned. They had been sat in silence for near an hour at the very least, and of all of the conversations, Aldarn thought this least to cultivate new conversation. Will, then Cornelia..? And what did that even mean? _'Why'_? But Aldarn knew that Caleb wouldn't ask it for no reason and even more so that saying Cornelia just was would probably not be enough anymore. Caleb had never asked a question about beauty, and Aldarn, though young, knew from Drake that he should expect it. Caleb knew less than even he, and if Will was plaguing questions in his mind, Caleb would be far too embarrassed at the least, to ask anyone but Aldarn himself.

"Is she?"

There was a long silence there, and Aldarn realized, from Caleb's stunned features, that the boy hadn't understood as well as he'd thought, because some things Caleb got and in some things Caleb was fairly matured in knowledge. But apparently Caleb had never got the concept of beauty being a matter of personal choice. "I don't understand, you said she was."

"No," Aldarn's mind pumped and whirred and ticked for some means of explaining it again.. What had he said wrong the first time? It had been so long ago, and Caleb seemed to really thing things like the city of Glass was beautiful, so how could Aldarn not have noticed and how in the universe was Aldarn to rectify it? "You have to choose."

"I what?" Caleb seemed stunned. Shocked. Almost appalled by this notion, and Aldarn felt his chest swell with pity for the boy that didn't understand. It took several minutes of thinking, before Aldarn felt hope that Caleb might've made a decision - the boy was about to speak, but it was ruined when he looked at Aldarn, confused. "How?"

But then the calling bird flew and Caleb's focus was gone, and the bird had become the most important thing as Caleb stretched out his arm, then waited for it to speak. _"I'm hungry...When are we off?...No breaks today...Phobos' orders.."_

Aldarn sighed in frustration as Caleb scooped crackers from his pocket, "Perimeter guards; they don't know anything. Try again."

"Observe!" It was funny, how easily animals took to Caleb, and Aldarn looked to the boy, hoping to get back to their previous conversation, but Caleb wasn't done. "We've got to find Elyon. If I could just get a timetable, a location, anything.."

Caleb had trailed off as the pair both stared, motionless under the bright light shining on them.


	4. Chapter 4

"Blunk here!" Caleb frowned as the torchlight flickered off and Caleb held restraint from pushing forward to break the tiny, green-skinned creature's neck. The ignorance of passlings outstanded Caleb, though it was no surprise that they were a mostly dying species. "Bring food for birdies!"

Blunk rush forward eagerly and Caleb snatched the bag away; a scowl growing across his face from the immediate annoyance, and stink that oozed from Blunk. He knew a passling, and he knew fine well that he hadn't yet payed Blunk, so he forcefully pushed his hand to find only crushed crumbs at the bottom of the bag. "Àrpax: It's empty."

The passling had been backing away, and Caleb growled inwardly as Aldarn's hand grasped his elbow. Caleb, baring teeth, twisted his face to that of slightly less anger, if only so that Aldarn would let go of him, but as soon as he had, Blunk shrugged sheepishly and Caleb felt his anger rising again. "Blunk get hungry too... Heh.. Heh.."

**...**

"Elyon's mind is ours." Prince Phobos smirked as Cedric stood, stoic features stared at the wall ahead of him rather than the prince, and Phobos' favourite part: the raw red that spread over Cedric's cheek, now blurred out of it's hand print shape. Cedric had been absent for three days until now, and frankly Phobos hadn't cared one bit of his departure. And he was sure that Elyon was thrilled, too - the only hitch in the serene trifecta of days being her constantly heated words that revealed more of what she was thinking than he'd thought. And the touching.. Phobos' eyes scanned over pages of script revealing his very thoughts on absorbing Elyon's full power. Full strength. That was the hitch and he'd found her later than he'd wished and it'd take at least to the years end to capture her. "Return the Book of Secrets to my library. Soon enough, every segment in it _will _come true.. And Elyon's fate will be the final chapter."

"Yes. My- Prince." Phobos smirked at the deceptive snake's stutter, and the Prince let himself lay back as Cedric's echoing steps faded; water from the fall suddenly starting to trickle around his shoulders into a searing bath. Water, siphoned from the falls of the Mage herself: a magical being, clearly dead as her waters now only trickled into a chasm of earth below.[0] The great Mage was a woman he'd known to have powers, and she'd gone missing once the rebellion started - the beasts had obviously killed her, and it was a shame not to have her to be on his side. Her waters still eminated power though; the waters exuded it and he had been drinking up the strengths for years. Let the Gods know, he'd probably wasted most of it.

**...**

"Boy.." Hay Lin rubbed her cheek as Cornelia forced another puppy into it's cage, and she let herself lean back on the wall and yawn. Will was staring at her, Cornelia had noticed. Staring at Hay Lin's little scratch with a dazed look that she wasn't sure how to help. It was Elyon who'd done this, and including Cornelia, Will was the only person blaming Will. And Hay Lin got bumps and scratches all the time. She would be fine. "When a friend of ours goes bad, she really goes bad.."

"She must be.." Cornelia frowned, forcing herself back to the moment when Elyon glared at them with so much resentment. It wasn't Elyon; little Elyon who was more interested in boys and makeup than even Cornelia. "She must be under some kind of a spell."

"Oh, come on! How do we know that?" Irma swung her legs back and forth and Cornelia wondered what _'Mr Olsen' _would say when he came from getting seed in the back. "Elyon was _born _in Meridian, and she's Phobos' sister! What if you've been going to school with th-"

"Irma." Cornelia's eyes, along with those of the rest of the group swivelled to Will; stunned that the girl had spoken at all, nevermind _actually _holding authority in her voice. "Rethink finishing that sentence."

* * *

><p><strong>Àrpax - <strong>Snatcher.

[0] Of course to the Infinite City.


	5. Chapter 5

Caleb's features were unreadable at that moment, and Aldarn wondered if the passling would live to the hour after suggesting such a thing as the gardens. But after long seconds Caleb only shook his head. "The bird will return to the village."

"You're leaving?" Aldarn had inwardly winced at the tone of whining in his voice, but Caleb looked anywhere but him and Aldarn understood; a smile forming on his lips. "You will come back though?"

"I'll get supplies. If the aeropóros says anything about Phobos' plans for Elyon, I need to hear it." With that Caleb pushed himself to Aldarn's shoulder in some excuse for a hug and Aldarn grinned. This was not the Caleb who had found himself stuck in an Oubliette with a sorry excuse for a guardian. That was certain.

**...**

"Prince Phobos.." Lord Cedric took slow, meaningful steps toward the back of the young Prince and swallowed back his pride. He saw Phobos smile when the steel blue eyes clashed with his atonement. The collision of palm to cheek had been cursed to last longer, and Cedric had not presumed that the prince would waste such energy on one slap. It didn't matter now, though, as Cedric had a standing point. "You're brethren has left you a gift."

Phobos' head twinged with an interest as the young man turned around, and Cedric shook slightly the bird on the crook of his arm. _"Over the wall. Then crackers."_

"What a pretty bird.." Prince Phobos bared teeth in a charmingly pleasant smile, and stepped forward to admire the dull, black feathers. Storking fingers just above touching the bird, Phobos hand suddenly clutched and pulled out several feathers while the bird squawked out and tried to flap away from the pain. In a flash of burning light from the prince's recent regaining of power, the bird burst to flames in an instant. "Only one living thing shall know all of my secrets, Caleb." Prince Phobos let the ashes slide from his hand and Cedric watched the man silently. "And you,_ o adelfós mou_, have yet to join your family."

At the words of Escanor language Cedric's brow had raised slightly, but he quicckly composed the surprise of that and the idea of murmurers being considered as _living. _A slight misconception, he should think.

**...**

Elyon stared down at the book in front of her as she lay across her bed; a gold embedded feature, with foresty green edging and most importantly - no lock. Cornelia would have loved it: the gold; the patterns; the mystery of a missing lock. Elyon's eyes then moved to her sketchbook - something she had thought she had lost, but Phobos' had returned it in the night with her new brooch.. She left the sketchbook lying open and pulled the gold and green book into her fingers, dragging it beneath her pillow. "Elyon, what do you have there?"

"It's just a picture I drew a long time ago.." Elyon's back had stiffened as he'd stepped into her room and for a moment she wish he'd knock. She shook the mild annoyance from her mind and pulled out the picture, stuck roughly back together, thankful for the notion that he mustn't have looked in it if he was curious. She stood and went to pass him the image, and couldn't read Phobos' perfect features. "At least.. It feels like it was."

"Do you really want this reminder of one who worked with the rebels to betray you?" Prince Phobos' piercing eyes studied her for a second as she forced herself not to snatch it back. The page burst into flame and Elyon's teeth clenched to hold back a pained gasp. She clutched onto the sketchbook in her arms and tried to smile at the man who thought he was doing a justice. The ice on her heart melted slightly more when his hand clasped her cheek; his thumb just below her mouth and his fingers running through a few strands of lose hair. "That's better, is it not?"

And Elyon could only nod, because she was captured by his slight, musk scent and his petrifying blue eyes which looked at her, surely, with more intensity than a brother ought have.

His hand started to drop away and she longed to reach up and push it back. "Then I have someone for you to meet. Miranda.."

* * *

><p><strong>o adelfós mou -<strong> my brother [AN: said in Caleb's tongue of Escanor, rather than Phobos' dying language].


	6. Chapter 6

A final, _extra-extra _chapter today.. 'Cause I'm just so nice. )

* * *

><p>Miranda - a girl with no second name, nor past (as far as she liked to be known) - stalked into the room at the mention of her name from the <em>Great <em>Prince. "I thought we could get to know each other.."

Miranda's flawless, childish features smiled as she took in the Prince's annoyance at her interuption, and grew when she saw the child before her glancing mournfully at a pile of ashes on the floor. _Enter Miranda. _"Perhaps you could walk around your land with _Miranda.. _You could show her your ball room..?"

"C'mon.." Miranda drawled out her words with almost as much disconnection as the Prince's usual drone could muster. But Elyon smiled weakly at her fascade of pulling and smiling. "Let's go."

"Bye.." And Elyon had looked back too.. It was something Miranda could respect, that the girl was devious enough to lust her own brother.. Miranda however, was not a fool, and had never let herself look at the Prince with anything more than mirth. If the Prince wanted something, he would have taken it by now. And Lord Cedric had already told her his fears of Phobos' lust, whilst tangled with her childish body, seeking something that he could acheive with Miranda without having to worry about strings; at least, as far as Cedric was concerned, because Miranda was pulling out strings of information with every advancing _meeting._ Prince Phobos had an interest with the Guardian, and Miranda would give him a raising kudos if he took her..

Perhaps he could swap her with a Mogriff for real. She could hear their flapping wings behind her in a growing distance.

**...**

"Would you stop it!" Will yanked Cornelia away by the arm and the girl frowned deeply. Gone was the resolve and the appreciation of her supposed leader; Will could see the defiance in Cornelia's eyes and knew what she was thinking. _'You're meant to take my side!'_ And yet it was Cornelia, and not Irma being pinched by Will's determined features. "You're meant to be setting an example for them!"

It was fear that waded Will, further into the depths of Cornelia's anger to drown her out.. Because her fear of Caleb was currently more than that of the blondes; Will being very aware that if Hay Lin's cut would be bad, then if Cornelia had slapped Irma it'd be worse. Cornelia glared at her and growled, errupting a snort from Irma.

"HEY!" Will had had enough and Taranee had wrapped an arm around the bewildered looking Hay Lin. Was she scaring her? Or was it Irma or Cornelia? Will shook away the thoughts and went with her stressful outburst - grabbing Irma by the shoulder too, and hoping by God that for once they'd listen to her. Because Caleb wasn't around and Cornelia couldn't play leader on herself.. So Will didn't have much of a damned choice as she turned to Irma first, then to Cornelia. "Elyon is not evil, okay! ..And you! You cannot just keep taking this out on us! We are not going to Meridian today! We are not going to Meridian right now! We will wait for Caleb, and see what he's got! ...Okay..?"

Will sighed, but neither girl spoke, nor moved when she let go and parked her ass forcefully and tiredly on the sidewalk. How many times before Irma learned..?

**...**

"Mogriffs..?" Prince Phobos looked down at the ugly, drooling creatures as the Lord Cedric nodded. "Show me."

The lurch in his stomach was contained and concealed as he smiled at the bursting pockets of humane skin that drew over their grey leather. One opened it wide, unnatural looking mouth and as watery, deep blue, round eyes formed, the water guardian's face looked as though it had been torn from her body until the mouth closed and latched at an average size. The dark skin of the fire guardian and the pale-yellowish of air were next to consume forms, and then Will's body and back took an unposable, lurking arch that he doubted her little body would ever make. It was the blonde though, that he watched. The long hair grew down into hideous curls, and sharp teeth bore from her perfectly rose lips. Her sharp features certainly gratified the Mogriffs' work. She looked fit to be evil.


	7. Chapter 7

It was the first break of the day, and the summer was starting to shine through so the behavior of students naturally changed to suit the season, like the change of season itself; the halls were practically empty by this time and the grass surrounding the school would most certainly be littered with groups of students who lazed about in the early day's sun. It had been almost eighteen hours, since Will had told Cornelia that they would not be going to Meridian; ten hours since Caleb had finally fallen asleep only to toss and turn restlessly through the burning questions of beauty and opinion that littered his brain and deprived him of dreaming. But while Caleb searched for answers, Cornelia Hale simply ignored those given to her. "Well, if you wanna do it, Will can't really stop you.. I mean, who does she think she is?"

"Exactly," Cornelia frowned as Alchemy traipsed along beside her. The girl was now constantly Cornelia's source of _'norm', _considering that none of the girls ever talked about anything other than 'W.i.t.c.h.' and Alchemy made her feel better, because it was nice to have someone else who missed Elyon and none of the other girls really seemed quite as bothered as Alchemy. And it was nice, too, to have this girl to pile her frustrations on; mainly Will, the redhead having had told her they couldn't _'go to the mall after school today'._ As much as Cornelia knew it wasn't the same, it was nice to make Will seem ridiculous, because it made her feel better to seem right. Alchemy pointed to the door and Cornelia waved in understanding, "See ya."

"Bye!"

Cornelia's fingers clenched and unclenched then, as she waited for Alchemy to disappear. Checking the coast was clear she opened her locker. Will couldn't stop her. Will wouldn't. She'd gone to Meridian alone before and she'd ended up just fine. If anything, the only _'leader' _worth listening to at all was Caleb. "Cornelia..?"

"Will!" Cornelia flashed a smile; closing her locker door over her shorts and vest-top. "I just realized I forgot my gym stuff, and I was wondering.."

Will's eyes lit up, and Cornelia's heart sank at the realization that Will was really that eager to please her.. To make up with her.. "I'll have spare.. You know the code, right?"

"Um.." Cornelia frowned and shook her head. If she'd known the combo, she'd never have mentioned it! "Sorry.. I don't think I-"

"Just borrow anything I've got.." Will had stepped to her own locker and clicked the dial of the locker as the bell went, then turned away, presumably to change. It was easier than Cornelia expected, and guilt rose into Cornelia's chest until she shook it away.

Cornelia waited until Will's decending back was out of sight in the throng of passing students, and dug her hand into Will's discarded bag, letting the masses filter into rooms around her. By the time that she'd checked several pockets, and her fingers clashed with cold, smooth crystal, everyone other than herself was gone, and the usual clack of Knickerbocker's heels were obviously too far to be heard. Cornelia closed her eyes and prayed. "Spord.. Lartsa!"

And there she was, in the same denim jacket over white trousers and a poloneck.. It was amazing really, and thoughts of Will evaporated from her mind only when the drop finally voiced herself. "Um.. Do you know who I am..? I think I've lost.. Something.."

"What?" Cornelia stared, blankly at her 'reflection' for several seconds.. She didn't have time for this and Cornelia yanked open her locker again; pulling out paper and pen, before ripping off the pictures stuck in Will's locker and her own. "You have got to be kidding me.. Don't you tell anyone anything about these.."

When Cornelia was done she pulled the map of Portals from the same bag as the Heart and shoved both into her pocket, leaving herself behind and hoping to God she wouldn't make a fool out of herself.

**...**

Caleb rubbed his forehead and cracked his neck where he sat, with piles of several books stacked mismatchedly over themselves, each to similar pages of information. Yan Lin watched him from the doorway, and Caleb pretended he wasn't aware of her presence, having tried to push away the questions of the night with answers of the guardians, but everything, enevitably, came back to only more questions of Will. "What are you reading?"

"Who is she?" Caleb was glad when Yan Lin had finally let her presence be known, but knew he'd been too eager with his question - wincing at his own bluntness. "About the Guardians."

Yan Lin nodded, and Caleb could tell that she must've already known to be as unsurprised as she was, yet she didn't even acknowledge his own question. So he pressed it again.

"Yan Lin, why is Will here?" The old woman frowned; a frown of disapproval maybe, of discouragement perhaps.. Certainly not of uncertainty though and he knew she must have the answer. But why she was hiding it made Caleb only more curious, and he swallowed before trying again, "I sai-"

"Why do you have to ask Caleb? She is here because she is a Guardian. You know that."

"But why?" Yan Lin had sighed then, and her tense stature had only increased as she tried to compose herself rather than glare at her. But this was more important than whatever the silly woman held against him. "Shouldn't she have powers or something? The Heart-"

"If she had any powers, Will would not be as she is and I'm quite sure that she is.. Inoperable.." Yan Lin had looked older when she'd said that, as she often did when he brought up Will or her supposed importance. But Caleb's eyes had widened a little, and the pit in Caleb's stomach had burst into raging flames as he connotated what she had said.

"Is she broken?"

In his mind flashed images of things on the pages spread out, not to his right; of Will's fear and of all the things Will could do and hadn't done. But Yan Lin only shook her head - having obviously had given up on keeping his strong mind out of the loop. "Defective I think. She shouldn't look like that or be.."

She'd trailed off, but Caleb had already got the gist. He sat then, in the silence, for a minute exactly - watching the clock's hands tick without sound before he realized that she wasn't going to speak again. His hand slid to his glass; only half of the water left in it, but he was sure that it would make his point. He was glad, Caleb, that he'd waited that minute, as when he stood in front of her and poured the water slowly over the floor. he knew that he'd never have made quite as much of an impression as now - looking directly into her eyes. "I'd like for that to be on you're head."

And Yan Lin didn't move as Caleb let his calm body quake; leaving the room with his books left on the table and his palm pressed forcifully against an eye that would soon be rubbed red. Tears, as they were, were prctically foreign to Caleb. But anger made his eyes sting with their pride.

He had to get out of there.

* * *

><p>Sorry if that was confusing, but it's like that to sorta imply that Caleb isn't thinking straight - if you're wondering about Caleb, he poured the glass of water on the floor as a show to Yan Lin that he wanted to throw it over her in anger for being so rude to say something that implied there was something wrong with the sort of person Will was (looks, mind,etc).. Then he rushed out in silent rage.<p>


	8. Chapter 8

Two chapters today I think - I did four yesterday, and I'm still on track to get this finnished by Monday and start the next ep..

And btw, if it wasn't clear, Caleb _didn't _cry, but was basically on the verge of tears out of anger :)

* * *

><p>Elyon walked through the streets of Meridian - Miranda's choice, rather than her brother's suggestion of the ballroom. It was eery. Scary. Elyon didn't like that Miranda stood with their shoulders practically touching, and Elyon didn't like that as she walked through the village, not one word was uttered in front of her. Miranda smiled and waved, but Elyon only looked from one hopeful face to the next as the girl beside her grinned happily, "Isn't it great how they worship you?"<p>

"Great.." Elyon forced a weak smile in Miranda's direction, but her eyes were on the only one in the village that didn't seem to be _'smiling'._ Green, morose features watched her as she walked past crowds that were steadily and silently growing. His eyes were the first to move and bulge in confused panic, before she looked where he was and found her heart sinking.

**...**

Cornelia found the portal that Will had left open for Caleb relatively quickly. She remembered that it was a good one, because Caleb had lit up on travelling momentarily through, and practically begged for Will's _'ieró sóma' _to let him keep it. Like some sort of short-term pet; practacly more so than the stupid parrot-thing was, and Cornelia knew for this reason also that Will would not be closing it until she knew Caleb was back. Which gave Cornelia time, hopefully, before Will was to realize that her Heart and Hay Lin's borrowed map were missing. Now her only problem was the Heart itself, which seemed to have frozen almost green; the colour of envy, the colour of jealousy and the colour, Cornelia pushed back in her mind, of her own glowing powers.

**...**

"That's not them." Aldarn's eyes flitted back to Elyon as he whispered the words in silent prayer that she'd hear him and realize. But the seeming copies of the Guardians flew past at a speed, before flames erupted from a building where they'd landed and he became certain, while Elyon looked appalled. "That's not them lígo fos.."

But the Princess ignored him as she was pulled forward by her companion, well known by hisself and the rebellion, which littered these streets between villagers, as a metamorphose; a changer of bodies much like Cedric. Most of the village knew in fact; the reason no one dared to raise their voice or let their child. Aldarn pushed through shouting people, and reached out for the Princess' shoulder just too late, as the girl yelled at a deformed version of the Keeper. They didn't look right; the Guardians, and Aldarn could only stare at _'Will'_s glitchy smile. "What have you done!"

"They've burned down two buildings!" When the metamorphose looked around at him and the crowd, he was glad the shock on his face would make him blend to the worried villagers. The Princess was being manipulated right in front of him, and as Lord Cedric himself stepped forward, Aldarn knew he could do nothing to stop the spider-girl's false shouts, but could instead only watch the _'guardians' _fly away. "Help! Water! Help!"

**...**

Caleb's feet hit the solid gravel below him and his deep frown lessened when he spotted the tall form of Cornelia approaching. "Gaea.. I was thinking about going to-"

Cornelia walked directly past and he swiftly turned to grab her by the elbow and pull her back, tensions at the thought of Hay Lin's mention of _'what Will did yesterday'_, filling his mind and he wondered what exactly the redhead had done. For once he'd been to emersed in himself to ask. "Hello..?"

"Cornelia." Caleb frowned, knowing he'd practically spat her name when it wasn't her fault he was angry. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a breath before looking at her again. "Please don't ignore me."

"I'm... Sorry..." And she'd dug into her bag, pulling out several pictures and Caleb's frown became confused. She seemed to find what she was looking for with one of him, and he yanked it away from her more with anger that she'd taken a picture of him without asking than anything else. "Ca- Hey!"

It was a list. Of things that he'd done and things that he hadn't done and any anger in Caleb melted into embarrassment when he read further and further down.. "Please don't be offended, but I'd really rather you don't, um, advance on your.. Sentiments of me.."

"My what?" And then Caleb's face went as blank as Cornelia's.. Because it wasn't her.

* * *

><p>ieró sóma - 'holy body' (he would've said it to Will as implication of her being in charge and him being under her authority)<p>

lígo fos - little Light (reference of Elyon as the Light of Meridian)


	9. Chapter 9

Will knew it was rude to stare, but in her defense Yan Lin had started it. As soon as she had walked in the door, whenever the elderly Grandmother of Hay Lin's eyes had been fixed on her. And it wasn't the same as Caleb, who she forgave because at least he only looked curious most of the time now, but Yan Lin was only grim since she'd asked Will if Caleb had found her yet, and Will had shaken her head, left wondering if Yan Lin had seen him or if she was merely asking. The old woman entered their newest hangout - or at least the room Will had directed them to; feeling far more comfortable with Caleb than Yan Lin, even if he was going to freak when he saw Hay Lin and Cornelia and Irma and.. Will had to admit that within forty-eight hours (for it was two days ago that Caleb had left) she missed him. He seemed to keep the sanity - something Will never truly believed herself to have had a particularly strong grip on. The door at the top of the basement stairs could be heard opening, and Will looked to the door expectantly as loud footfalls ascended at exactly Caleb's speed and noise. Oh God, would his face look like a sign from heaven. Hell was over and Will would be able to breathe once again. If there wasn't a tray of food in front of her, Will would have surely jumped the boy hugging him. But he looked back as he walked in the room, and she realized that someone was there. Cornelia was there and he was smiling at her rather than Will. It sort of took away the gist of the happiness to know he hadn't missed her nearly as much as she had him. "Cornelia's gone to Meridian to confront Elyon.. This isn't her.."

**...**

"That's her astral drop?" Caleb's eyes had been on Will as soon as she looked to Cornelia, but when he momentarily flickered to Hay Lin's pretty face his green eyes became glued to the slice in her cheek. A minuscule scratch of a cut, that he'd barely managed to catch, yet once his eyes fixed on it something in his chest quelled. She'd already been in bed when he'd arrived in the early hours, and this morning he'd been blurry eyes with sleep when she kissed his forehead goodbye. Like a real brother, she'd tinkled happily, while all that Caleb could think was that if it really could keep him awake, perhaps it was the time to try coffee. He never had though: the Lin's only had tea. Cornelia's double must have disappeared, because she was gone when he finally dragged his eyes away. "Heh heh.. Forgot they did that.. Oopsy..?"

"A.. Drop..?" Caleb was glad for an excuse to meet Will's gaze, but when he looked upon her features; spaced out a little in some sort of dread and surprise, Caleb found himself giving Yan Lin a defying look for ever saying a pessimistic word about the way Will looked or was. She was just fine the way she was, and Caleb could admit that maybe she was a little bashed, but never faulty. Yan Lin had acted like she'd been born the wrong person. Like Will shouldn't have been chosen a guardian. Like Will was a mistake. But she was just fine the way she was. Even with the fearing look on her face as she dug her hand into the deep confines of her greenish, mushroom coloured duffel bag.

"If Cornelia's in Meridian, you must g-"

"The Heart!" Caleb almost grinned smugly when Will cut the old woman off, but then he heard her and found his eyes meeting and mirroring her fearful gaze. "She.."

"Den eíche.."

"She took it." Will's eyes were glassy and though some might deem the barely breathed words, Caleb only wanted for her to stop because it hurt to look at. She was like a child and an infant and a woman rolled into one, and Caleb didn't have much of a defense against any of them. "We have to go-"

"BEAT HER STINKIN' ASS! .." Irma had jumped up, Caleb had seen in his peripheral vision, but he ignored the following obscenities too mature to fall from such a youth's mouth, with eyes only on those browns which were staring at where the astral drop had been; apparently haven fallen into some trance at interruption.

Caleb wish she'd go back to her trance when she blinked and looked up to him. "We have to help her."

* * *

><p>Den eíche.. - She didn't.. (oh yes, even in his own language Caleb can go for a bit of <em>'Oh no she didn't!'<em> :L :L)


	10. Chapter 10

Cornelia Hale pushed through the scattering green faces mixed with peach. Someone had spoken of the guardians, Cornelia was sure, but she only pushed faster through the whispers of the ancient village. It was like an eery theatrical and Cornelia did not pleasure in the feel of the place, nor the dress she'd slipped from a line of clothes on arrival. Everything here was brown or grey - not black nor white, but slowly dying away. Elyon wouldn't like it here, Cornelia was sure.

**...**

If it was possible, the city of Meridian turned darker as the night was summoned to reign supreme - the one thing even the dark Prince himself didn't see point in trying to make the night obey him. Perhaps the Prince liked the shadows. Perhaps he was afraid of the light. Many reasons were given to the Prince's connection to the night, though only one man would ever know for sure. Cedric had guessed, Prince Phobos was certain, but the Lord knew when to hold his tongue and the Prince held preference to the dark and the ignorance; the idea that just as his mother had disappeared by the day, surely she would come in the night as she always did, to comfort his fears.

Prince Phobos sat in his icy, hard throne with his fingers lacing over a pink-quilted sketchbook, and would not be lying to any soul if he told them he had not been afraid of the dark. No. Prince Phobos had always been more afraid of what might be revealed in the light and by now he'd figured the fear was obviously not without it's reasons. His mother had loved the sunlight, but did not have the time for his face in the searing brightness. She only ever spoke to him properly.. Touched him.. Looked at him during the early night while his father watched in the background. Except of course the rare occasion when she might teach him something, or congradulate him for an acheivement that could not be missed by her fragile, bursting mind. His mother was a busy woman, and his father had always said that he could not help because it wasn't his right. And yet Prince Phobos was adjulated when he would do something for her and his father would glimmer a smile of approval, that never reached lower than his eyes, but Phobos was greatful.

And his mother praised him. Oh how his mother would beam at his efforts to make her stop her working and breathe, because Phobos could see that his beautiful mother was strong and that she was rightful for the throne, but she never did stop. And he knew that she didn't want her throne. But she was in love with his father and his father saw her as the angel that she was, so Phobos never dreamed of asking her why she was still holding the city up. There was always a respect there, for Phobos, that his father had been so clever. It had made him laugh at first, but now Phobos understood his father's words to him on being asked about his marriage. His father had _'captured a Godess'_, and Phobos adored it when his father had told him that he'd been meant to be called_ 'Odin'._ The supreme God. It was the wench of a loose-ended Grandmother who'd baptised him Phobos, and the young Prince never forgave her for ruining his relationship with his father.

Prince Phobos let the book slide from his hands to the marble floor, and threw the sands over it to swirl into the source of the energy. "Ahh.. The Gaea."

**...**

Cornelia had gone around. She'd winced at every step of her's which echoed from her shiny pumps and scattered around the floor like ripples of sound throughout these high walled corridors. She'd been here before - she had gone in the same way she knew not to be far from the library of the castle and only now did she think of breaking into the bookstore. _'No, Gaea.'_

She was sure she'd heard something like a whisper, but it wasn't long before she realized it was Caleb's voice rattling through her concious. It was no longer as dark as it had been, and inside the castle there was no loger the petty hope Elyon would come home out of preference. It was beautiful here and even in her stolen brown frock she felt more important. Significant.

_'Gaea, turn back.' _Cornelia Hale avoided anyone's lingering gaze as she picked up the largest bowl of fruit she could see; only supposing it was fruit, but these things really did look just like strawberries.


	11. Chapter 11

"Lypámai Gaea sas eínai mia tétoia skýla." Caleb frowned as he pulled Hay Lin through the portal by the wrist - he knew Will was aware she was being spoken to, so he lessened the frown to a grim look at her weary, confused face. "I said that I was sorry you had to put up with.. Cornelia."

"I hope you meant all of us Caleb. That bitch is going to get it! Ambient Will! Sound the alarms!" Will paled and Caleb's eyes dragged away, over to Irma, who grinned. "Will went berserk."

"I hope that she directed it at you, trelós." Caleb sent most of his smile to the withdrawn Will, but Irma stuck out her tongue and Hay Lin beamed past the tear in her little cheek.

"Oh she did! And she yelled at Cornelia! It was brilliant." A sense of easing filled Caleb, to know that Will hadn't let Cornelia take charge, though he was sucked then, into a vortex of wondering what Yan Lin might say. Yan Lin was not a nice woman, as far as Caleb had known her, and Hay Lin's non-judging mannerisms did not seem to shine from the old woman. Will had been smaller since he'd arrived and he wondered if it was Yan Lin or Cornelia or himself that was effecting her in this way. Caleb had never been particularly good with denying challenges, but Will would be more challenging than death. And then some.

**...**

_"And where do you think you are going with that..?" _Voices, from the murmurers, were too much to ask for and Prince Phobos could only decipher the speakers from speed or looking into sands to watch as they spoke. And of course there was Cedric; a low hiss would erupt from one or two of the murmurers as if poking fun at the snake-man, but it provided Phobos the knowing of his Lord. The blonde hair of this girl was fake, Phobos smiled; not literally, but it looked halfway to yellow, while his was nearly white. That was what she got for being birthed on her home-planet, while Phobos' mother's Meridian had been cleaner than the Heavens themself when he was born, and from no other than a Royal and an Angel, so who would ever question his beauty, but this girl was still something, even of Earth.

Elegant. Comely. Phobos did not sit forward in his throne, but his eyes certainly glazed over her near-perfect features. His mother would certainly be impressed, but his father was far more knowledgable when giving the advice of his future. As far as Phobos saw it now, his mother had married his father, but _he _was the one who'd had the sense to marry her. And his father had always said that beauty isn't brash, but enticing. You'll notice it right away, but it'll hide from you. _"Uh-umm.. Miss Elyon's room! You know how she, uh, likes.. These.. But I've forgotten where she is.."_

Prince Phobos breathed a laugh at her stumbling idiocy, and watched as the ghastly shelled-creature (the species was from further north of the Metaworld) pointed a claw in the right direction, then grimaced when she nodded and walked that way. "Go home Gaea."

**...**

It hadn't taken Will long to realize that Caleb had not romoved his hand from Hay Lin's tiny wrist, and she was surprised when he was suddenly beside her with the girls' behind, murmuring low words into her ear. "I hope you intended to tell me that Cornelia had tried to do that."

"She was upset." Will forced the words out in her almost whimpering voice, because she truely was nervous to stay away from him. He was going to bring up the cut. "I told her off and you are nothing to do with the matter."

When she threw her head high she hoped to look snooty, because it was far better than the other option of falling to her knees and begging him to forgive her sheer stupidity of actually trying to play leader at all. She might have forgotten he was gone for the long silence, if she couldn't hear his breaths slightly to her left, behind her. "Good. ..That's good."

She nodded once and didn't let herself look at him, because she knew it'd be on her face. The confusion and the longing to ask him.. Why?

* * *

><p><strong>Lypámai Gaea sas eínai mia tétoia skýla - <strong>(because Caleb might've been paraphrasing a teeny tiny bit) I'm sorry your Mother Earth (a.k.a. Cornelia) is such a bitch.

**trelós - **silly/stupid/crazy (basically he is lightly insulting her)

..And I think that's it for the night.. More tomorrow. :)


	12. Chapter 12

For TTigerz - a family emergency earlier, and I couldn't get back on so I figured a chapter to wake up to was the least I could do.. And the last few paragraphs are just my special apology ;) :$

* * *

><p>"Cornelia.." Elyon stared with clouded grey eyes which hid her surprise; glad that she sounded more aware than she had been of her friend's coming arrival. Miranda had been talking for the entire walk back to the castle, and even Cedric's calming hand did not help any - Elyon hated to admit the reason being for his spare hand being on Miranda's shoulder in much the same way, but after all she did thank that he'd taken her away. And now, before her stood everything she wanted to be and Elyon didn't know whether to hug Cornelia or scream at her. Elyon was never good at math, but as Cornelia stared back with glassy, happy eyes, numbers ran through her head like a marathon was going. "I.. Missed your birthday a few days ago, huh."<p>

And just like that, Elyon Brown found herself immersed in Cornelia. It was exactly the same and yet so, so different from how things should be.. For instance the tears ought be running down her cheeks in a normal circumstance. Cornelia didn't cry, or shake or sniff. "I'm sorry! And I had to see if you w-were okay, and I want you to come back okay, and I j- I just don't want you to be gone anymore!"

"You shouldn't have come here." It stung to push her away, but Elyon could already see her brother's face. Laced with disappointment. He only wanted her to detach from them because he wanted a proper sister, and with the echoing moan into the ballroom shadowing her thoughts, Elyon knew she couldn't possibly refuse anything the young Prince asked of her. Childish, to take fantasy and attachment into the same hand, but Elyon was quite sure she'd give anything for his adulation. She'd nearly died when he charred her drawing without more than an indifferent glance. Not even mention of the skill - Elyon was not humble with the one talent she possessed - and Elyon knew she could never live fully without his love. "All of the things you've done to hurt me. The village today; was it a game?"

"What?" Cornelia's eyes looked dirty with their red rims of moist skin and a pink nose that still made her more beautiful than Elyon. If Phobos saw her, Elyon would be blamed. "What village..?"

"Just get out of here Cornelia. Get out!" Elyon's bedroom door had crashed open at a wave of her arms, and Cornelia jumped, but did not make an effort to leave. Anger boiled that Cornelia would want her in so much trouble, and Elyon felt her eyes sting with defiance to this so called friend of hers. A bubble; though not particularly threatening, encased the blonde in it's blue-tinted walls, and Elyon sneered at the panicked girl who pounded and screamed within the sound-proofing sphere. "GUARDS!"

**...**

"I know what.." Caleb wished he knew how to say it, but he didn't want to make Will's feeble stature become any smaller, so he changed his words completely. "The girls are very lucky.. That you are who you are and not someone else."

She grinned at him and cocked an eyebrow, but Caleb could see the thanks beneath the skepticism. It was all in Will's eyes and when the girls rushed forward at the final turn to the portal, Caleb found her guise falling away, and Will Vandom grew out of the shell of her own emotions to stare at him with her lip caught in her teeth. "You need to tell Cornelia. That we really are here."

"B-" Caleb frowned as he wondered exactly what she meant, but even without her cracking voice, it was a sight to see Will so fragile. Yet there were no tears, and she really was not her drop in so many ways, but Yan Lin was so very wrong if she thought this girl was specious or misfigured.

"She doesn't believe it if I say it." And like that he found his hand reaching out to squeeze hers, which fit to his palm like a perfect puzzle piece rather than one that was incorrect. Yan Lin was wrong, and surely Will was meant to be as she was. If she was meant to have been beautiful instead, Caleb was glad she didn't take after Cornelia. Will let him drop away as they turned the corner to the girls at last.


	13. Chapter 13

She was shivering, in a bubble made from his sister's hands. What a waste of the talent of magic, but Prince Phobos was sure to calm any temper when he met her solid, blue eyes and 'popped' the bubble with a single finger; leaving her only to stand, with her arms protectively hugging her chest. It was here that his anger defied his mind, but it didn't matter because he wanted her to be frightened, so he pointed an accusing finger and hissed with rage blemishing his features. "What the hell did you think you were doing?

Her confused eyes immediately bulged with fear and she shrank back and Prince Phobos stepped forward to be altogether too close to her; relishing in the amount of intimidation he was arousing in this apparently confident girl.

"What, has your self-regard been wounded now? Feeling a little humility?" Prince Phobos let himself taunt and allowed his slim lips curve into an awful sneer when another of her tears dribbled down her cheeks. Tears made her ugly and the girl was a mess. And Prince Phobos was disgusted by the self-pity surrounding this girl as she slid to her knees on the floor, so his voice became a cutting tone of disapproval. "Didn't you hear me, Gaea. I told you to leave and your _'pastor'_ - you should not leave her side, so tell me stupid witch.. What could possibly have been good about the idea to come here?"

The girl sniffled, and Phobos found himself bending his knees to crouch, still just taller. "I-"

Prince Phobos let his fingers gently pull up her near perfect chin, and Prince Phobos saw her shiver and look at him before he spat on her perfect cheek. "You shouldn't have listened to your sad attempt of a brain. I cannot hand you back over, Gaea, as I am not a man to break a fair playing ground. Your guardians are coming and I highly doubt their lives when they approach in human form."

**...**

Cornelia watched from blurry, tear-stained eyes as the Prince Phobos waved a hand over the sandy floor, and her eyes widened in shock and fear as she realized he wasn't lying. Will didn't have the Heart, and she was coming anyway. Irma's face displayed an annoyance and anger, while Taranee and Hay Lin smiled worriedly and Caleb looked grimly to Will, who's face displayed pure determination. The redhead opened her mouth and her lips moved, but Cornelia realized that there was no sound, and jumped when that smooth, angry, hollow voice became more cooly calm. "And no matter how much of a failure you are, she is still coming for you."

Cornelia stared at the man, who's eyes were more certainly on Will and she shivered at the expression, which only seemed to confirm. Something resembling pride or respect was lacing his voice and his face, and Cornelia's only reaction was to hug herself tighter in a ball, realizing now that Will had been here. Will had been with him for a night and half a day, and he could've done anything to her, or said that he would. And Cornelia was only beckoning Will to return and Phobos' eyed the redhead with most definitely more than he did Cornelia. And then Cornelia realized. He thought that she had the Heart. Fear for herself washed away; forgetting that the crystal was in fact in her position, and Cornelia's fear became for Will. It was all Cornelia's fault.

"Are you ready to see some good sport, little wench?"

**...**

He'd led them into the arena, Caleb realized too late, and he knew that Phobos would already know they were here. _Murmurers_. Caleb had warned Will that there might be beings watching, but Will had only pressed then that he should look after the girls and she'd go in herself. So he'd led them all into the stadium of games and blood pounded in Caleb's ears. Why did Will make him do these things? He grabbed the redhead's wrist and pulled her toward him with his most serious expression on his face to try again to overrule her, "Will, we should go b-"

But he found himself staring past Will at a growling blonde, who truly could have been Cornelia. The gnashing Hay Lin beside her was all that told him she was not. His grip on Will's wrist tightened, and did not drop when he whirled to Taranee, who breathe awe, "They look just like us.."


	14. Chapter 14

Will screamed when the Taranee leapt past her and sank it's fingers on Caleb's neck and as Will stumbled and fell back, away from them she saw blood and realized claws were growing slowly, not half an inch yet, but they were piercing between his skin and the muscle of his neck. He wouldn't even be able to shout or writhe without killing himself and Will pushed herself up to run for the.. Taranee, but then it seemed to make a pained cry and the Taranee shrank away and Caleb clutched at his neck, hiding the most of the blood that was making Will queasy.

There was a crash and Will's eyes flew to a crumbling Wall, seeing her Taranee on one side, and a version of herself swinging a flail at the stone protection. Eyes on Taranee who crawled away and ran towards her, Will didn't time to see the sharp spikes of metal as she was wrenched from her spot into Caleb, who pushed her behind him with sticky, maroon-dyed hands. "Don't let them touch you!"

**...**

"Ssomething is stopping her.." Phobos waved away Cedric, who had come to stand beside him while the Prince watched the scene. The brutish Mogriffs had nearly torn his murmur boy apart, and if it weren't for Caleb Will would be dead too and Phobos doubted she'd forgotten that she could transform, so Phobos whirled to the shrunken beauty - something Cedric had passed by with only a fleeting glance, though Phobos knew she was a very endearing sight for the snake - and Prince Phobos yanked her by the chin to standing, ignoring her whimper as Phobos snarled something to which Cedric responded by becoming unseen.

"You took it, you sadistic bitch, were you trying to have your keeper killed? And you didn't even think to tell me!" Fresh tears of pure wavering fear poured down the tainted beauty of her face and Phobos tasted the dirt of her self-worship and pity that invisibly clouded her pure, supposedly unadulterated blue eyes that dared actually look directly into his. On the outside, she was perfect, and temptation to sour her would have been vast if she wasn't such a disgrace, as unlike Will's tousled grace, this child's beauty was barely skin deep. "Her guardians will all falter, simply for your own disgrace!"

She was still crying, and Prince Phobos had long realized that this woman was far more annoyance than any other, because she didn't seem to possess any of that self-acclaimed confidence now and Prince Phobos sneered when she paled further than she already had and her sniffles had stopped fairly abruptly. "Wh-wh- ..Wi-"

She couldn't even formulate coherent words in her tiny little brain, and Prince Phobos found himself snarling at her again. "You mean Will. It's Will you've nearly killed."

He threw her then - clasping his hand forcefully around her forearm and shoving her to the side with enough force to make her stumble back and falter in her step before she left. It was him, who'd sent her to leave, Phobos was sure. He must've yelled something along telling her to get out of his sight, because she'd crawled or stumbled or ran from the room by the time his eyes dragged away from Will's; though she couldn't see him - Will - he'd have to be outside for her to see him, but instead he simply waved a hand when the Mogriff got too close.

**...**

Caleb stared as 'Cornelia' seemed to shy away from Will as quickly as 'Taranee' had, him. They were some sort of shape-shifter beast, and Caleb yanked Irma away as 'Will's form' tore huge claws into a spear the brunette had tried to launch at her. "Don't go near them!"

Caleb grabbed at the nearest weapon; items of previously lost lives from battles, and Caleb threw the slicing sharp metal like a frisbee at the 'Irma', hugging the actual brunette to protect her as the Hay Lin bounced away from him like a force field and he knew Prince Phobos was only trying to protect his fragmented soul. "They can fly, but they don't seem to have any other powers!"

"Yeah, but without the Heart neither do we!" Irma didn't resist the protection and complied as Caleb pushed her with Taranee, behind him, glancing to Will who had done the same with Hay Lin.. But who was to stand in front of her?

The Irma skulked - they only seemed to be coming one at a time - over to Will and rushed forward at the last second, and he choked out a pained noise of surprise when she punched out her fist; caught by the 'Irma's hand and followed by Will crying out as the claws sunk in, but with the beast distracted, she kicked it in the stomach - making Caleb's turn as he saw her shaking her hand about, wiping the blood in her jacket. "We're fine, just go find Cornelia Caleb!"

Caleb shook his head, _'no'_, but then he realized that she'd probably go herself and Caleb picked up a shield and thrust it into Taranee's arms to protect herself and Irma, before backing away from the scene. And hoping to God that they'd be okay.

**...**

Prince Phobos did not miss the four tearing cuts of flesh on the red haired keeper's fist and growled, before throwing sands to take their images away. He would see later. For now, he didn't want to watch, so instead the sands revealed Caleb's form stealing it's way through the castle and Phobos wish he had the energy to care. It was all the Gaea's fault.


	15. Chapter 15

He'd been caught out. Caleb wasn't surprised as such to be fighting off three blades with a scarily brittle candlestick holder, but had taken to the positive that it wasn't Will in this position due to her constant suggestion to go and get Cornelia herself. At least Caleb knew Phobos would do his best to avoid damaging the tenant of his precious fragmented soul. Prince Phobos would probably think he'd need it to get into heaven, though Caleb had avoided looking, ever, at the man despicable face. "Blunk smell girl!"

Caleb's eyes flashed back into the real world, finishing the fighting by slamming his foot into the closest and pulling away the brute's dagger to stab the second deep into the chest and whipping round to- "Not so tough now, are we? Looks like someone else had a go at this today.."

Caleb swallowed in testing the blade's closeness to his throat, but knew already that he'd be dead if he tried to move away. But then again, he was always prepared and smiled cockily at the imbecile. "There is a dagger facing your chest and if you don't die on impact, Phobos will certainly not be interested in an injured warrior with another man's blood in his body."

"Blunk smell two girl!"

Caleb's smile relaxed and the guard stepped back, dropping his weapon. It was a cruel phrase of words, but the threat of death was the only reason they'd let him live long enough to rectify Cornelia's place beside Will. And the first man kicked down would live too, so in reality Caleb had killed all of one man in weeks. Months. "Jesus.."

**...**

"She has the Heart of Kandrakar. I want you to find her." It had taken him several minutes of specifically _not _watching the scenery outside to realize that a Heart had to be given. Offered. And that Prince Phobos would need not be so impatiently waiting for Elyon if he was to burn with the closest energy to a God's that he knew on the planets around him. The infinite may well be supposedly heaven, and if so, Phobos wanted a piece. Will was no longer of consolation in the hungry Prince's mind. "Now!"

Cedric, who had easily been summoned after sending Elyon into a slumber, nodded and stepped away with a blind man's grace. But Prince Phobos' eyes were open now, and he could already see where the girl would be hiding. The Guardian of Earth wasn't clever enough to actually listen to him, so she'd be away from Will and towards his sister. Phobos let sand slip through his slim fingers to confirm him.

"Insolent child.."

**...**

"Elyon! Please wake up!" Cornelia pulled and tugged at Elyon until the girl stirred and opened her eyes. The sleep quickly fell away, though, as Cornelia's pale face and red-lined eyes were enough to startle Elyon awake. "You have to come with me!"

"Ooh! Shiny!" Elyon looked up at that point, as a green, froggy face seemed to drool over the book she had earlier found. "Pretty gold square!"

"Gamóto Christoú.." Elyon looked up at Caleb's words; breathed with a sense of awe as he laced fingers around a book, before he stared at her intensely. "Is this yours?"

Elyon shook her head quickly; no words would come as she stared at his blood-stained neck - his neck seemingly having been torn by the skin in four thick lines, though it had to look worse than it was, because Caleb seemed full of life as his eyes widened with recollection and he shot to the ground and onto one knee in a bow.

"Forgive me.. Princess.." After moments he was back up again, with his face all but frenzied with concern; was it really that important if he hadn't.. Bowed..? He seemed lost then, looking to the ground, then the walls for answers, but his gaze kept dragging back to the book and it would seem that he couldn't resist whatever he was playing at. "If it's.. _Not _yours.. How did it come to be here?"

"It's.. I.." It was Elyon's turn to panic, wondering exactly what they might think of her stealing, when one of the people in front of her was drenched in her own tears, while the other was starting to look more and more to her like a member of the undead.. "What happened to your neck..?"

"Um." Caleb dragged his eyes from the book to hers, and she was guessing Cornelia's, with almost guilt in his expression. "We really have to go.. Will an-"

There was a slam against the door - something Elyon only realized now that Caleb must've barricaded shut - and Caleb said something resembling a curse as he clutched at his pockets and belt.

**...**

"We have to go!" Cornelia was shaking Elyon, who seemed to have passed out, and Caleb felt his heart pound; well aware that he'd clumsily dropped the dagger, simply to relieve Elyon from any source of panic that he might attack. Aldarn had warned him Aketon's suspicion she'd be swayed less easily the second time, from them to Phobos and back was harder than t seemed, but Caleb didn't have time and grabbed the book before thrusting it into Cornelia's grasp. "Hold that."

Caleb tore away the bedsheets and was quick to knot them to the window frame and grab Cornelia around the waist; clutching her to him as Blunk got the idea and rushed out of the window, "Wait! Elyon! Caleb! Don't you-"

But Caleb persisted in throwing them both out of the window and using the velvety sheets as a means to slide down the wall without injury. But he could already hear more screaming than could come from the girl he'd pressed into his body to secure and Caleb dropped to the ground with his eyes darting over the scene. "Back where started!"

Caleb ignored Blunk; his focus on the girls. One, two, thr- Where was Will? "Get the fu- WOAH!"

His heart stopped and eye's widened past their limit when the 'Taranee' dropped Will and the redhead started falling straight down; head first. She'd never survive and Caleb felt his knees going weak as he realized he was going to have to watch this.. See her.. Bile clung to his throat and Caleb wished he could just pass out until it was all over and pretend he'd never even met- "WILL!"


	16. Chapter 16

Taranee's eyes shot from Cornelia to- "Oh my God!"

She just got a glimpse of Will Vandom presumably plummeting to her death before a familiar call reassured her and lights swirled around to transform her, "GUARDIANS UNITE!"

As soon as they were transformed, Taranee threw a searing flame that lined the ground between the copies and herself - making them stumble back several feet and she swore one of them hissed, but before the fire even settled there were tangling vines shooting at and puling back the five enemies, leaving them snarling and thrashing as Hay Lin conjured a storm to blow them back. Taranee winced, but through blurry eyes she saw the.. _'Them'_ changing and growing fur and leathery skin and Taranee didn't ever wish to see her face warp like that again. "Mogriffs!"

"What?" Taranee squinted at Caleb through the storm, but he seemed focused on the creatures, so she looked back as Will ran at the version of herself and grabbed it; pulling it up into the air as it transformed, then hurling it away as Caleb's snort could be heard and Taranee couldn't help but grin at the scowl on Will's face, followed by the satisfaction indulged by the 'Mogriff's startled cry.

"EW!" Cornelia stared at the semi-transformed Mogriff of herself and Taranee laughed at the disgust. Will and Cornelia really weren't so differed when it came to.. Battle attitude.. "Get a face!"

A swirling vortex of water washed up the creature before it had a chance to finish it's transformation and Taranee found herself running to join Cornelia in pulling Caleb out of the way as he stared; transfixed with fairly paled features and Taranee swallowed past the effort of ignoring the sticky blood which engulfed him. By the time she'd dragged her eyes from his neck, the vortex seemed to 'blow' and 'Mogriffs' flew about in all directions before collapsing completely. "Now.. That's how the real guardians do it."

**...**

"What about Elyon?" Cornelia stared up at Will and felt her lip tremble. But Will was already looking at Elyon's window with paling features, and Cornelia found the face she was looking at. Prince Phobos stood, staring down and Cornelia wondered if Will knew; forcing the trembling breath to verbalize. "He's looking at you.."

And with that, Will looked away and attempted a feeble, grim smile - taking Cornelia by the arm with what Cornelia realized to be a blood stained set of knuckles on her hand. "I know.."

"We can come back Will.." Will's eyes seemed numb in comparison to the usual sadness that roamed instead of the current calm, and Cornelia found herself feeling inadequate under the girl's grim gaze. "I know that we can come back."

**...**

"Phobos.." Elyon woke in a foreign room to find the young prince smiling down at her. Had it been a dream? No, Elyon instantly concluded that it couldn't have been a dream; why else would she be in this room now - a single, dark sheeted bed that's quilts seemed heavier and warm on her body. "What happened? Why did Cale- that rebel bow? Why were they-"

"The guardians are playing games Elyon." His strong gaze and flicker of reassuring smile made Elyon's stomach tremble, and Elyon feebly wondered if this was Phobos' bedroom that he'd brought her to. "You can sleep safely Elyon. They've gone now."

**...**

"What you did, was totally reckless and stupid. And for what?" Will frowned, biting her lip as she tried not to quiver at Cornelia's fragile demeanor in the large room of the Silver Dragon's basement. Cornelia still needed punished, and Caleb was currently upstairs paying for what she'd done, though he'd only seethed at the pain of Yan Lin first pressing the hot towel to tend to him. And he'd promised that it wasn't half as bad as it looked; seeming confident that he Mage would have something to fix him up. Tear-stained eyes were no equivalent to the damage Cornelia caused, and Will dug her scarred fingers into her pocket as the blonde quivered and stared at the floor. "Caleb nearly died! We could have _all _died! Do you think I like having four girls lives on my hands? And that doesn't even include you, with all your great ideas, and Caleb! Who did you think would have to go back to the rebellion? Becau-"

"I-I'm sorry Will.." Will tried not to drop her serious look as her heart simply broke. "I just- Elyon hasn't changed and I- I just want her back!"

Will's eyes widened with shock as she slid her hands and arms around the back of the girl who had yanked her into a hug and was squeezing for dear life around Will's thin shoulders. "O-kay.. Look, it's fine I really.."

"Will.." Her eyes shot up to the door as Caleb stood, awkwardly, with all of the other girls behind him. Finding Cornelia's grip ceasing, Caleb walked in and the girls followed after like lost puppies. It had been a big day, and Will hadn't missed the three youngest eying Caleb's neck as Yan Lin worked. That was when Will had taken Cornelia's arm. Any excuse to leave. Not to have to look. But he was back now and by Yan Lin who'd come to the door eying him skeptically, he hadn't let her finish. His green eyes looked to the ground from her and back, shy of his neck as he bent his head down to hide himself. "It's fine.."

**...**

"I found this.. Vivlío me ta Mystiká.. It's a book of Secrets.." Caleb thrust the book into Will empty hands without looking in her eyes, because something wasn't right - with any of their faces - whenever they looked at him properly. None of the rebellion looked twice at war wounds. Not even Aldarn.. So why did they keep staring at him here?

"Will!" Forgetting his new self-consciousness, Caleb looked up to find the source of the voice, Irma, holding Will up and he swallowed; cursing his own self-absorption for not even noticing as Will dropped the book and Caleb bent down to clasp it close t his chest - this could be the missing piece of their puzzle and Caleb knew it was childish to feel a possessiveness of not losing it; even to the floor. It had been hard enough to let Will hold it, after Cornelia had dropped it and just left it lying after transformation. "What the hell is that?"

Will's eyes were on him and Caleb was glad that she was looking at him directly rather than at his half-fixed cuts; Caleb wouldn't bet on the others being so kind. "Well it's this book.. Kind of a magical diary.. It absorbs and stores all the secrets of whoever owns it-"

Caleb tightened his hugging the book as Yan Lin came closer; hoping for her not to ask because he doubted he'd trust her with it.. He barely trusted her with Will. "This is _that _book?"

Caleb nodded, "If it belongs to Phobos, every plan for Elyon will be in here.. But it doesn't open.. Not for anyone but Phobos."

"Then it's useless." Caleb's hurt eyes flew to Irma, and he stubbornly frowned at her idiocy. If he could just find the right magic - any book could be opened, and he was going to the Mage anyway.. Her waters rejuvenated the skin. And he couldn't stand that they were all still staring at him.

* * *

><p>Okay, that's the episode done.. More tomorrow, and I'll be online to chat in half an hour, then all day :)<p> 


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